On Wednesday’s I like to share information I picked up on my path to publishing, marketing and preparing to publish again. Information that I wish someone would have shared with me, back then.

Social Media Manners

What in the world did we do with our time before social media? I for one was definitely more productive writing wise and my house was much cleaner than it is now. I have a feeling that social media killed most of the daytime soap operas. Why watch scripted on T.V. when we can scroll through non-stop reality.

Whatever negative side effects social media might have it does have equal and opposite positive effects as well. For me I have never felt so much a part of so many completely different communities as I do now. Writers/Bloggers truly are the most supportive, genuine and friendly people I have ever known.

Because it is a new year I thought this would be a good time to share some social media etiquette and tips that I have learned over the years, some of them the hard way.

It is social media not sell media. There are many companies out there that will take your money and instruct you to auto post the same posts across all of your social media platforms. Posts like ‘BUY my book’ ‘Must Read 500; 5 star reviews.’ Then there are those direct messages you receive thirty seconds after you follow someone that requests you to, buy my book, like my page, follow my blog and don’t forget to fave and share this message. These companies will fill your head with numbers that sound important but they are useless. Social media is about being social, making real connections. Auto posting/ constant selling will leave people thinking you are lazy and unapproachable and they will keep scrolling.

Once you post it, it cannot be erased. In 2015 this is still important. If you are not sure about posting or responding to something take the time to think about it before you post or respond.

Ignore Posts that offend you. It would be great if we never had to lay eyes on or hear anything that offends us but when it comes to social media we are going to see plenty. It always feels good to be part of a ‘do good’ mob but choose your mobs wisely. Don’t take someone’s dislike of children or pets so personally and just scroll on. Trust me your mood will be better if you just ignore and scroll on. If it persists, and you can’t seem to ignore the offensive posts, hide them, disable notifications from that person or unfriend them.

You owe no one an explanation to unfriend/unfollow. There is never a need to post things like ‘I am cleaning up my friend list.’ Just unfollow quietly and move on.

In 2015 it is still a bad idea to vague post, chronically complain, overshare and post in clumps, frequently. ‘I am so upset’ ‘Some people need to just shut up and you know who you are.’ If you share someone’s post or an article always write something personal about it such as why you liked it or didn’t like it. I need to take my own advice on this one.

Do not post spoilers. Be considerate of our friends in different time zones. If you cannot wait to talk about that winner or scene, take it private.

Limit rants. Sometimes a good rant can be healthy and prompt positive conversation. It is a good idea to only post them occasionally.

Never use more than two hashtags in one post. Trust me.

The buzz about you, your book or your blog should NEVER come from you. This is simple; you only gain credibility when other people post about your work. That doesn’t mean you cannot share exciting information or good news. There is a big difference between good news and overselling.

If you wouldn’t say it to someone in person don’t say it on social media. It is a good idea to stop and think before reacting on social media. There is a way to say and mean what you want to say without being mean. We are writers, right?

It is okay to discuss politics and religion. Discuss is the key word here. We should always respect each other’s views or beliefs even if they are different from our own, especially if we have no idea what is behind those views. Discussion and debate are healthy. Headlines and talking points are annoying.

Oh my how I love this post! Vague posting makes me nuts but you nailed it here: “The buzz about you, your book or your blog should NEVER come from you. This is simple; you only gain credibility when other people post about your work. That doesn’t mean you cannot share exciting information or good news. There is a big difference between good news and overselling.” Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Again, you and your work are bright spots in my Wednesday! Off to say nice things about you and your blog. May I vague post about your upcoming book :)?

Thank you! I have always had the policy of just scrolling past things that I either don’t agree with or might even find offensive. It’s that persons right to their own opinion and I’m not injured by them expressing themselves. Now, I might get a bad taste in my mouth for the person and do what you suggest- delete, or if they’re family- change the setting so I don’t see their posts. I imagine I’m at a party, would I start a yelling match at a party because some one was a moron? No, but I certainly wouldn’t ever invite them over again.